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Archive for October, 2013

OC Political just received this press release from Phillip Chen Campaign for Assembly in the 55th AD (Brea, Diamond Bar, Yorba Linda):

Assemblyman Curt Hagman Endorses Phillip Chen in AD 55

YORBA LINDA, CA – – Republican State Assemblyman Curt Hagman has endorsed Phillip Chen as the next Assemblyman in the 55th district, which Hagman currently represents. The highly coveted endorsement from the popular incumbent Curt Hagman solidifies Chen as the clear frontrunner in the June election.

“I am endorsing Phillip Chen to continue my work representing the people of the 55th district. Phillip’s background as a reserve deputy sheriff, School Board Trustee and small business owner gives him important insight on the most important issues facing our area – jobs, education and crime. I am extremely confident that Phillip Chen will be an outstanding new conservative member of the Assembly for our district,” stated Hagman who has represented the Orange County, Los Angeles and San Bernardino based district since 2008.

“I am very honored to receive Assemblyman Curt Hagman’s endorsement and I look forward to continuing the standard he has set with his strong, conservative leadership,” said Chen.

Phillip Chen is a small business owner and USC Professor who was the top vote-getter in the Walnut Valley Unified School District Board election in November of 2011. He is a top advisor on health care issues to Supervisor Mike Antonovich and a reserve Deputy Sheriff for the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. Phillip was appointed by Governor Pete Wilson to serve in the Governor’s Office of Criminal Justice Planning, where he worked on legislation involving foster care, gang prevention, drug awareness, and mental health.

Phillip is a Doctoral Candidate at USC, he has a Master’s in Public Administration from USC and holds a B.A. in Communications from Cal State Fullerton. In addition, Phillip teaches Public Administration as an Adjunct Professor at USC.

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SFC: OK, we’re here at the Republican convention here in Anaheim. I’m with Young Kim, and she is running for the Assembly District in Orange County. And again — a bit of unusual candidate. When I was at your intro the other day, several people said: … she’s … KOREAN! She’s a woman! She’s a Republican! That’s, like, an unusual thing. But you say this is also a political advantage — that’s why you were recruited, too. Tell us about that.

YK: Yes. The 65th Assembly District represents the north and west Orange County.

SFC: Yeah. [Note: further mm-hmms and such omitted.]

YK: Fullerton, Buena Park, La [Palma], Cypress, Stanton, and West Anaheim. It is traditionally a very conservative district. The current State Assemblywoman, Sharon Quirk-Silva, did not win that seat. Unfortunately the Republican lost it in the last election cycle, but it was a bad year for all Republicans. Now, having said that, that win for Sharon Quirk-Silva gave the State Legislature a 2/3 supermajority. That is bad for us in Orange County, especially when the district, in the last redistricting cycle, has turned into 1/3 Asian, 1/3 Hispanic, 1/3 Caucasian. She’s Hispanic; I’m Asian. She’s Latina Democrat; I’m Asian Republican. She’s a woman; I’m a woman.

OK. She had the advantage of being a minority, a woman, and she went after our former State Assemblyman, Chris Norby, but she doesn’t have all the flaws that they went after him against Young Kim, because I don’t have any flaws.

SFC:[Starts cracking up laughing.]

YK: I am going to infiltrate into Sharon Quirk-Silva’s comfort zone — and I’m going to take her voters away.

SFC: And what is her “comfort zone”? What do you say –

YK: Woman! Minority! She’s not going to claim all those to her benefit, because I am going after the minority group that is hugely popular, Asian Americans — they come out and vote! Unlike the Hispanics.

SFC: Right.

YK: They will contribute to a candidate they believe is the best shot at getting that seat back — and that Asian Americans will do that. They have already proven that, for me, in a short period of time, in two fundraisers, I have have raised over $300,000 –

SFC: $300,000 in a few months. You have worked for Ed Royce, Congressman, for twenty years.

YK: Yes [Note: more “yes” and other interrupted cross-speak omitted.]

SFC: You know this district backwards and forwards, because you’ve worked for him in the district, in and around the district, for two decades.

YK: And like I said: when I say she doesn’t represent the interests and the values of the district, the district is traditionally very conservative, faith-based community.

SFC: You are very conservative socially –

YK: Very conservative, socially as well, and I do not subscribe to what she believes in, such as the transgender legislation that she worked hard to get it passed — it doesn’t reflect the values. I would not have even entertained such a thought. When the vote comes up, on the vote, I would say: “What a stupid, crazy bill. Who introduced it?” I would say that. I would not vote for something like that.”

SFC: I think that these debates that you two will have should be on statewide television. I think these will be very entertaining debates, uh buh this is — this is going to be great stuff, and, uh, we’ll see you down the road –

YK: Thank you.

SFC: – it’s gonna be, it’s gonna be one of the hot races in California, lot of money, lot of attention on both sides, and we’ll see you soon!

YK: I’m aware of that, so I’m ready, I already rolled up my sleeves, I’m ready, and I’m already … working hard. I’m hitting the ground, 100%, and I will kick her butt.

When Anna Bryson first ran for election and then re-election to the CUSD Board of Trustees I was one of those who endorsed and supported her. After the 2010 elections, many of my friends who also supported her and I were aghast that she so blatantly switched sides and voted with the Trustees who were elected by the teachers and classified unions. She is seeking to replace my current Assemblyperson Diane Harkey who is termed out in 2014. As a resident of South Orange County, I am one of those taxpayers directly affected by her votes and I have no desire to have her as my “representative” in the State Assembly.

The examples below are drawn from the agendas and minutes of the CUSD or from newspaper articles that report on Ms. Bryson’s votes on key issues at Capistrano Unified School District. I always have believed that a politician’s voting record is the very strongest evidence of where their core values lie. In my opinion, Ms. Bryson’s voting record is evidence that her core values do not lie with the taxpayers.

Craig P. Alexander, Esq., Former Elected Member of the Orange County Republican Central Committee.

• THE TEACHERS UNION RECEIVED A $30,000,000 “PAY RESTORATION”
12/07/2010 During a closed session of the Trustee board it appears a majority of the board voted to give the teachers union approximately $30,000,000 in compensation restoration which was not on the agenda for that closed session (which resulted in an investigation by the Orange County District Attorney).

• GAVE TEACHERS UNION A MASSIVE GOLDEN HANDSHAKE!
01/25/12 Anna Bryson voted with the union-elected trustees (and against the endorsed Republicans on the Board) to give the Teachers Union a multi-million dollar “Golden Handshake.”

• PAID FOR UNION’S GOLDEN HANDSHAKE BY INCREASING CLASS SIZES!
02/29/12 In order to pay for the Golden Handshake she had just given the Union, Anna Bryson made the motion and voted with the union-elected trustees (and against the endorsed Republicans on the Board) to obtain a special waiver to allow the 9th largest school district in California to increase class sizes beyond the maximum permitted.
1/5/12 email from Patricia Koch (assigned by OCDE to oversee CUSD Financial matters) to Wendy Benkert of Orange County Department of Education. Email_that_retirement_bonus_is_tied_to_class_size_increase

• SPENT TAX MONEY TO TEACH UNION LEADERS HOW TO BETTER NEGOTIATE AGAINST TAXPAYERS!
09/12/11 Anna Bryson made the motion and voted with the union-elected trustees (and against the endorsed Republicans on the Board) to spend tens of thousands of tax dollars to send union leaders on a junket where they would be trained how to become more effective negotiators – the negotiator for the taxpayers did not receive the same training.

• PROMOTED LIBERAL DEMOCRAT (INSTEAD OF HER REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUE)!
12/12/11 Anna Bryson voted with the union-elected trustees (and against the endorsed Republicans on the Board) to promote liberal Democrat Gary Pritchard (pro-abortion, anti-Prop. 8, etc.) to President of the 9th largest school district in California (instead of her Republican Colleague who was also nominated and who had been proudly endorsed by the OCGOP, the CRA, Lincoln Club, Atlas PAC and most every other conservative organization in Orange County).

• REFUSED TO SUPPORT THE ENDORSED REPUBLICANS IN 2012 ELECTION!
11/02/12 Anna Bryson sided with the teachers union and failed to and / or refused to endorse the three conservative Republicans who were seeking election to the school board of the 9th largest school district in California that Anna serves on – and each of those candidates had been endorsed by the OCGOP, CRA, Lincoln Club, Atlas PAC and most every other conservative organization.

THE UNIONS HAVE ENOUGH FRIENDS IN SACRAMENTO – THE GOP CAN’T AFFORD TO SEND THEM ANOTHER!!!

The 2014 campaign is underway for many candidates, but some California Republicans are looking for some light in the tunnel: 2018.

The leading candidates running for a challenge to incumbent Governor Brown in 2014 are former Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado and Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-Hesperia).

However, there are sources this writer has obtained that a group of donors are willing to hedge their bets behind Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich as a credible and viable candidate for Governor in 2018.

Supervisor Antonovich has a long resume of public service that started in 1969 with his election to the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees. Antonovich was then elected to the State Assembly in 1972 by serving three terms.

In 1978, Antonovich was unsuccessful in seeking the Republican Nomination for Lt. Governor, which he lost to Mike Curb.

In 1980, Antonovich ran and successfully defeated incumbent Baxter Ward for a seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and has been re-elected eight times and is term limited in 2016.

Though, in 2018 Antnovich would reach the age of 79 and my sources has indicated that the Supervisor is not interested to be a candidate for Governor of California.

California has been receptive by electing elder leaders to keep an eye on the youngsters running the bureaucracy and especially in the legislature.

As for the donors to skip the 2014 election cycle by looking towards 2018 is very telling for Maldonado and Donnelly that both must prove to skeptics and donors that 2014 is the year for Republicans in California.

At the Tuesday, October 15, Lake Forest City Council meeting, Councilman Peter Herzog unexpectedly announced his resignation effective immediately. Unfortunately, the video from that meeting has not yet gone online. A Councilman since 1994, Herzog issued a scathing letter of resignation that blasted the Council majority.

It seems rather odd to resign in protest of a Council majority since the vacancy will permit the Council to appoint an ally. Presumably, American flag murals and meeting invocations are about to strengthen their majority on the Lake Forest City Council.

If a vacancy occurs in an elective office provided for in this chapter, the council shall, within 60 days from the commencement of the vacancy, either fill the vacancy by appointment or call a special election to fill the vacancy. The special election shall be held on the next regularly established election date not less than 114 days from the call of the special election. A person appointed or elected to fill a vacancy holds office for the unexpired term of the former incumbent.

Consequently, the City Council has 60 days to either fill the vacancy or else trigger a special election. Should the Council choose to fill the vacancy by appointment, they must do so no later than Saturday, December 14. After the October 15 meeting, only November 5, November 19, and December 3 are dates of regularly scheduled meetings of the Lake Forest City Council.

If the Council wishes to appoint a Councilmember and avert a special meeting, they will likely need to agree on an application procedure on November 5, release the application, give adequate time for potential councilmembers to submit their applications, and then interview the applicants presumably on December 3. December 3 is also the date in which the council will decide who will be Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem for 2014.

If the Council decides to go to a special election, they must call the special election within 114 days. Theoretically, if the Council met on Saturday, December 14 (the last day of the 60-day period), they could issue the call for a date before Monday, April 7, 2014. Elections Code Section 1100 mandates that all elections in California occur on a Tuesday, so this would allow for an election as late as Tuesday, April 1. Should the Council call the special election during its regular December 3 meeting, the election could be held as late as Tuesday, March

Diamond Bar Council Candidate Joseph Kim is making some hay regarding AB 1266 in a campaign mailer drop.

AB 1266 was authored by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown that would allow transgender students to use school facilities reflecting their gender identity.

The Transgender bill faces referendum challenge by the Privacy for All Students campaign, which faces long odds of collecting 505,000 signatures by the November 12th, 2013 deadline to qualify for the November 2014 statewide ballot.

It will be interesting to see whether or not Mr. Kim will gain some traction by pushing the transgender controversy as a campaign fodder in local council campaign.

If Mr. Kim is successful, then Diamond Bar will become ground zero for future campaigns in 2014 for statewide and legislative candidates to capitalize the controversy surrounding AB 1266.

This Saturday, October 12, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. local residents will be gathering at the home of patriot Joyce Hicks (22541 Tindaya, Mission Viejo, CA 92692) to support Laguna Niguel Mayor Robert Ming’s campaign for 5th District Supervisor of Orange County. Our current Supervisor Pat Bates is termed out next year (Pat is running for State Senate).

Mayor Robert Ming has a solid record of Constitutional conservative governance and activism. During his time in office, Robert helped cause Laguna Niguel to build their City Hall with absolutely no debt or higher taxes. He has a solid voting record against higher taxes and fees in his city and he opposed the use of redevelopment crony capitalism long before the state ended the practice. He is a founder of the Association of California Cities – Orange County a conservative alternative to the League of Cities and he still serves on its board of directors.

Robert has been endorsed by the Lincoln Club of Orange County and Atlas PAC.

This morning, delegates at the California Republican Party (CRP) Convention in Anaheim voted to adopt the County-centric endorsement procedure for primary elections proposed by Mike Spence and Deborah Wilder, with the adoption of amendments incorporating portions of the Adam Abrahms procedure. (See the original proposals in OC Political’sFriday report on the convention.) These endorsement procedures apply to partisan offices (i.e. federal and state offices, but not local offices).

Under the new rules, for races for the U.S. House of Representatives, the State Senate, and the State Assembly, any Republican who is the sole Republican on the ballot is automatically endorsed by the California Republican Party, but if there is more than one Republican on the ballot, the following will apply:

With at least five days’ notice, a meeting will be held with all Republican candidates in the affected race will appear before a County Central Committee, and that County Central Committee will vote to endorse a candidate by a 2/3 vote.

If each County Central Committee that has at least 5% of the registered Republicans who can vote on a race endorses the same candidate, then the State Board of Directors may be a 2/3 vote endorse that candidate on behalf of the California Republican Party. Any one County Central Committee that has at least 5% of the registered Republicans who can vote on the race may issue a veto by making an explicit 2/3 vote of “No Endorsement” in that race.

At the urging of Board of Equalization Member George Runner, the above procedure was applied to Board of Equalization endorsements except the endorsement votes from County Central Committees representing 95% of registered Republicans in the BOE district (instead of County Central Committee that has at least 5% of the registered Republicans who can vote on that race since in vast BOE districts, there are numerous County Central Committee that do not have at least 5% of the registered Republicans since there are dozens of counties in many BOE seats).

Jon Fleischman’s proposal to adopt a fusion of CRP delegates and County Central Committee members vote on endorsing statewide candidates was tabled.

In other convention news, Tony Krvaric of San Diego was re-elected to a two-year term as Vice Chair for the South Region (Orange, San Diego, and Imperial Counties). Adam Abrahms of Santa Monica was re-elected as Vice Chair for Los Angeles County, and Adele Harrison of Temecula was re-elected Vice Chair for the Inland Empire (Riverside, San Bernardino, Inyo, and Mono Counties), .

Aaron Ginn of San Francisco defeated Liz Kolstad of Fresno for the Associate Representative position, also a two-year term. This position is unique among Board of Director positions, as only the Associate Delegates can vote for this position. All other positions are elected by the regular Delegates. (For those less familiar with the state party structure, Associate Delegates are effectively alternates to the voting members. While there are specific formulas for the number of Delegates that can exist, there is no limit on the number of Associate Delegates.)